Learn To Cook Today With These Simple Tips!

The holidays are right around the corner, which means it is time to start preparing your menus. Cooking for the holidays can be a daunting task, which can take a lot of hard work. Your holiday cooking does not have to be an impossible task, though. Just follow the advice from this article, and you will breeze through it.

Indenting the center of a hamburger patty by up to one half inch will prevent bulging during cooking. Just a poke in the middle prior to cooking will allow a more even distribution of heat and will stop your burger from swelling on the top, something most of us are all too familiar with.

Always add oil to the side of the pan when sautéing. If you find that you need more oil in your pan while you are cooking, never put it right in the middle. Add it to the side of your pan. That way, it will be sufficiently heated by the time it reaches the food.

After you have cooked a meal for someone, never rush them into eating as you should always take your time and engage in conversation to give your body a chance to digest. Part of the meal is the smells and aromas it gives off while the other part is your actual consumption.

Are you cooking using fresh basil? Take out a glass and put some fresh basil inside. Now fill the glass with water to just above the stems. Place the glass of basil leaves on the counter in your kitchen, and watch it keep its freshness for weeks. The basil will grow roots if you occasionally change the water. Occasionally trim the basil, which will encourage more growth, and you will be able to have the benefits of fresh basil for quite some time.

If you are following a recipe take extra caution to make sure that you don’t skip a step, or that you are reading the measurements correctly. Especially in baking, a small mistake can completely ruin a dish. To avoid this just check the recipe a couple of times before adding in the ingredient to the mixture.

Tofu is a great source of protein that vegetarians should use to get the nutrients their body needs. Many vegetarians are lacking in protein because they are not eating meat. Tofu can be prepared in a variety of ways and really soaks up flavors so it can be served as a meal or as a quick snack.

Here is a great cooking tip to use when you are handling smelly garlic. After handling garlic, simply rub your hands with a piece of stainless steel for 30 seconds. This could be your sink or a doorknob. After doing this, wash your hands with soap as your normally would. The stainless steel helps to remove the odor from your hands.

As we previously mentioned, upcoming holidays mean lots of cooking. A lot of people do get concerned about getting started on their holiday menus, because they can be so vast. However, the tips and tricks you read in this article will make your cooking woes and inhibitions disappear and get you ready to conquer that holiday cooking!